We strengthen initiatives that guide newcomers towards employment. We provide help not only through funding, but also through coaching, knowledge, research and networking.
Many newcomers can’t wait to get their lives started, while many employers are often on the lookout for new staff. While this could lead to a win-win situation, it is disheartening to see how many newcomers are actually employed. Only 11% of recent newcomers have a job, and historical figures don’t paint a better picture.
OpenEmbassy wants to change that. We do so by strengthening initiatives that guide newcomers towards employment with the help of the Goldschmeding Foundation’s funding, as well as with coaching, knowledge, research and networking. We see the platform as a social incubator: initiatives can become stronger and sharper through our program, so that these can then guide more newcomers towards employment.
The research team of Regioplan and the Refugee Academy identify the main active components that guide newcomers towards employment through action research and realistic policy evaluation. They then operationalise the knowledge by strengthening new—as well as existing—initiatives, and lobby for any necessary changes at the system level.
That way, the platform is not only an incubator with impact at the individual level (more newcomers can find jobs), but also at the systematic level (changing the policies, rules and culture).